Tuesday, April 22, 2003
I should clear up something here. I am not in disagreement with most good, conservative people that I know. I am a traditionalist and a romantic in many ways. I come from an upper-middle class elite private education. However, I have a healthy skepticism of authority, as taught by the Founders. I feel that demagogues on both ends of the spectrum manipulate peopIe of good intent for their own ends. And of course there are the ones who really do believe the hysteria, or are a bit too serious. This goes for every group or media entity from PETA to O'Reilly to Streisand to Heston (even though I think those last two mean well).
I certainly do not "trust" the majority of our so called leaders without some demonstration of common sense, wisdom, clarity, integrity, and daring at the very least. Unfortunately it has been very scarce in the last 40-50 years. Or squelched.
The men currently in charge do us a favor by so thinly disguising their real agenda. If we as a people do not want this, we must change it. Are we on the right track? It doesn't seem like it.
Is conquering the Mid-East militarliy the right thing to do? Can the US successfully engineer "regime change" around the world and keep it going? It's never been done before. It will take an almighty cost on America. Will it be in our ultimate self-interest as a society? Or of benefit to just a few...most likely not you, dear reader.
Still, in terms of history, I don't think I can righteously judge this administration
I didn't think Clinton was all that swell, either.
I refuse to take an either/or, liberal/conservative position. I want common sense! An understanding of history and human nature! A sense of the tragic! A leader who combines thoughtfulness with decisive action.
So, maybe the neo-cons are right, but it's a HUGE gamble, with much of the world at stake. There's a frightening amount of hubris and arrogance in the willingness of this cabal to play with potentially billions of lives.
I certainly do not "trust" the majority of our so called leaders without some demonstration of common sense, wisdom, clarity, integrity, and daring at the very least. Unfortunately it has been very scarce in the last 40-50 years. Or squelched.
The men currently in charge do us a favor by so thinly disguising their real agenda. If we as a people do not want this, we must change it. Are we on the right track? It doesn't seem like it.
Is conquering the Mid-East militarliy the right thing to do? Can the US successfully engineer "regime change" around the world and keep it going? It's never been done before. It will take an almighty cost on America. Will it be in our ultimate self-interest as a society? Or of benefit to just a few...most likely not you, dear reader.
Still, in terms of history, I don't think I can righteously judge this administration
I didn't think Clinton was all that swell, either.
I refuse to take an either/or, liberal/conservative position. I want common sense! An understanding of history and human nature! A sense of the tragic! A leader who combines thoughtfulness with decisive action.
So, maybe the neo-cons are right, but it's a HUGE gamble, with much of the world at stake. There's a frightening amount of hubris and arrogance in the willingness of this cabal to play with potentially billions of lives.
